Dental band retainer



Nov. 11, 1952 D. REITER DENTAL BAND RETAINER Filed Sept. 21, 1951 Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE DENTAL BAND RETAINER David Reiter, Woodside, N. Y. Application September 21, 1961, Serial No. 247,596

14 Claims. 1

The present invention is directed to dental appliances and more particularly to a retainer for holding dental bands in position around teeth in order to facilitate the filling thereof.

The device of the present invention is related to the invention described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 173,259, filed July 12, 1950, now Patent No. 2,572,198, and entitled Dental Retainer for Matrix Strips. In said application there is described a frame having a carriage operated by a threaded spindle and carrying a pivoted band holder. Various elements are provided whereby a band threaded through the holder may be tightened so as to snugly fit a tooth and the pivoting of said holder insures that the band will accommodate itself to irregularities in the shape of the tooth. This device has proven quite satisfactory in use but in some cases and particularly when carelessly used the device has been found to have a slight defect in that the band might not be held sufficiently tightly to allow the dentist to perform his usual manipulations in connection therewith.

The present invention is intended to be an improvement over the aforesaid prior application, it being among the objects of the present invention to provide a device of the character described in which the band is held around the tooth tightly under all conditions of use and which will not accidentally become loosened during the dental operations.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a dental retainer which is so constructed that it is necessary to only move a single part, whereby the operation is simplified and the effectiveness increased.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide a device which is adapted for use with matrix strips or hands of various widths and thicknesses, thus avoiding the necessity of providing a holder for each specific type of band.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through a dental band retainer made in accordance with the present invention, some parts being shown in full for clearness;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper part of the retainer taken along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the upper part of the retainer looking from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the upperpart only of the retainer showing the several elements thereof in a different position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view thereof looking from the right of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the retainer.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4., the frame consists of a base I having upstanding legs 2 and 3, the latter having a shelf-like portion 4 which is secured to the upper end of leg 2 and terminating in narrow tongue 5. A second narrow tongue 5' extends from the top of leg 2 and the two tongues act to space the retainer from the tooth when it is in use, avoiding gum injury and permitting use thereof at the inner face of the tooth. A mounting 6 has a neck I at its upper end which is rotatably fitted into opening 1 in base I. A threaded spindle 8 extends through a central threaded opening in mounting 6 and a knob 9 at the lower end thereof provides means for rotating mounting 6 to move spindle 8 in one or the other direction.

The upper end of spindle 8 is fixed in carriage II] which carries a pivoting pin II in horizontal position having a head I2 thereon which lays over vertical slot I3 in leg 2.

Holder I 4 in the form of a flat plate is mounted on pin I I and has a horizontal or transverse slot I 5 near the upper end thereof. A similar holder I6 is also mounted on pin II and has a vertical slot IT to allow pivoted and longitudinal movement thereof. A transverse slot I8 is provided near the upper end thereof. Flat spring I9 is secured at 20 to leg 3 and contacts the lower end of holder It. An angular extension 2| is provided on the free end of spring I9.

At the upper end of leg 2 is a transverse slot 22 which is adapted to be aligned with slots I5 and l8. 7

In the operation of the retainer mounting 6 is rotated to raise spindle 8 and carriage III to the uppermost position as shown in Fig. 4 with extension 2| bearing on the lower corner of holder I6 and causing slots 22, I5 and I8 to be in alinement. A matrix strip is doubled up and the ends are inserted from the left of Fig. 4 into the position shown forming a band 23 which is placed over the tooth to be treated. Then mounting 6 is rotated in the reverse direction, causing carriage ID to move downwardly and immediately pulling with it holder I4 while holder I6 remains in the position shown in Fig. 4. until pin I I has movedto the bottom of slot I'I. Then further movement of carriage I0 completes the,

locking operation. In this position there is formed a double bend or U 24 in the area of slot l5 and an additional bend 25 in the area of slot 1 8 as well as a bend 26 in the area of slot 22. At the same time spring l9 presses against the face of holder [8 thus holding all of the elements under tension. Under these conditions there is no possibility of accidental slippage of the band.

Referring to the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the arrangement of the several elements is practically identical with the arrangements shown in Figs. 1 to 4 with the exception that the spring is mounted in a different fashion. Spring 21 is secured at one end by rivets 21' to the top of leg 4. It is bent as shown at 28 to form a tongue 29 which extends through opening 28' in leg 3. Holder I6 is provided with a ledge 30 at the upper end, under which extension 29 is adapted to be held. When slots 22, I5 and 18 are in alinement extension 29 retains holder 18 in the upper position. Then when spindle 8-is retracted into its lower positions extension 29 rides ov'er projection 30 and the side of said extension presses against Said projection thus pressing holders I4 and 16 together to cause frictional engagement with the ends of band 23.

Tongues 5 and 5' may be in the position shown in Fig. l or they may be spaced differently from the edge of slot 22. For instance, the lower face of tongue 5 may be continuous with the upper edge of said slot. The tongues taper to a rel-atlvely narrow end and may be flat in order to bear against a tooth around which a matrix band is tensioned. An important advantage of this oo'nstruetion is that :the contact between the tongues and the tooth is over a very small area so that the matrix band or any other element of the retainer does not impinge on the soft tissues of the mouth when the band is tensioned around the tooth. At the same time the width of the retainer and specifically slot 22, as shown in Fig. 3, may be made sufficiently wide so that any ordinary width of band may be held in the retainer, thus eliminating the necessity for different retainers for the various sizes of bands.

I claiin':

1. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, and a spring pressing on one of said holders.

2. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, 2. pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band. one of said holders having a longitudinal slot on which said holder is pivoted, and a spring pressing on one of said holders.

3. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapt ed to be alined for insertion of a band, one of said holders having a. longitudinal slot on which 4 said holder is pivoted, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, said spring pressing said longitudinally slotted holder forwardly when said holder is in its forward position.

4. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, one of said holders having a longitudinal slot on which said holder is pivoted, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, said spring pressing said longitudinally slotted holder forwardly when said holder is in its forward position and pressing said holder laterally when it is in its retracted position.

5. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated firame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of trans versely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, a longitudinal slot in said frame, said pivot adapted to move in said frame slot, and a spring pressing on one of said holders.

6. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, 2. pair of trans'- versely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slot-s adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, one of said holders having a longitudinal slot on which said holder is pivoted, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, said spring being anchored at the rear of said frame and extending forwardly to contact with said longitudinally slotted holder.

7. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a hand, one of said holders having a longitudinal slot on which said holder is pivoted, and a sprin pressing on one of said holders, said spring being anchored at the front of said frame and extending rearwardly to contact with said longitudinally slotted holder.

8. A dental band retainer comprising an elon= gated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other "end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, 2. pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, one of said holders having a longitudinal slot on which. said holder is pivoted, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, said spring preventing rearward movement of said longitudinally slotted holder until in the rearward movement of said carriage the pivot has reached the rear of said longitudinal slot.

9. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated flat frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a "carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, said holders being flat and being in contact with each other and said flat frame.

10. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated fiat frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, said holders being fiat and being in contact with each other and said flat frame, said longitudinally slotted holder being non-contiguous to said frame.

11. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated flat frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, said holders being flat and being in contact with each other and said fiat frame, said longitudinally slotted holder being non-contiguous to said frame and said carriage being adjacent the latter holder.

12. A dental band retainer comprising an elongated frame having a transverse slot for a band at the front end thereof, a spindle threaded in the other end thereof, a carriage on the end of said spindle adjacent to said slot, a pair of transversely slotted holders mounted on a pivot on said carriage, all of said transverse slots adapted to be alined for insertion of a band, and a spring pressing on one of said holders, the transverse slot of the holder adjacent said frame being out of alinement with the other transverse slots when said carriage is retracted.

13. In a dental retainer having a frame having a transverse slot for a band at one end thereof and mechanism for clamping said band in said retainer, the improvement which comprises at least one tongue adjacent to said slot and projecting laterally beyond the face of said slot, said tongue being narrower than said frame and tapering to the free end of said tongue, the end of said tongue adapted to clamp against a tooth around which said band is tensioned.

14. In a dental retainer having a frame having a transverse slot for a band at one end thereof and mechanism for clamping said band in said retainer, the improvement which comprises a pair of tongues on opposite sides of and adjacent to said slot and projecting laterally beyond the face of said slot, said tongues being in alinement and being narrower than said frame and tapering to the free end of said tongue, the ends of said tongues adapted to clamp against a tooth around which said band is tensioned.

DAVID REITER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 531,833 Bruce Jan. 1, 1895 2,500,867 Reiter Mar. 14, 1950 2,572,198 Reiter Oct. 23, 1951 

